In recent years, information processing apparatuses which can be driven by a battery and are easily portable have been widespread. The characteristic “driven by a battery and easily portable” enables the user to browse information such as information open to the public on a Web site and transmit/receive e-mails, even when the user is out or traveling, by using such an information processing apparatus.
On the other hand, the characteristic increases the possibility that the apparatuses are lost or stolen (in comparison with desktop information processing apparatuses). There are many cases where the information processing apparatuses store confidential information. Therefore, various proposals for maintaining confidentiality in the case where information processing apparatuses are lost or stolen have been made.
Recently, it is becoming normal for information processing apparatuses to be equipped with a wireless communication function. By using the wireless communication function, there is a method of operating a security function of the information processing apparatus from a remote location, such as disabling the keyboard to lock the information processing apparatus, and deleting data which is stored on a hard disk drive (HDD) or the like in the information processing apparatus, when the information processing apparatus is lost or stolen.
In the meantime, it is required that the security function is operable even when the information processing apparatus is in a power-off state. Therefore, the wireless communication module which provides the wireless communication function is required to be always in a power-on state even while the information processing apparatus is in the power-off state. In addition, it is required that the wireless communication module is set such that the wireless communication module generates an event for changing the information processing apparatus to a power-on state (to operate the security function), when the wireless communication module receives a message of requesting operation of the security function in the case where the information processing apparatus is in the power-off state. This function is referred to as “wake-up function” hereinafter.
This setting is performed by, for example, a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). The wireless communication module which is always in a power-on state maintains the setting even when the information processing apparatus is changed to the power-off state.
However, when the battery has run out or is disconnected in a state where the AC adapter is not connected, power to the wireless communication module is cut, and the setting for enabling the wake-up function is lost. Therefore, even when the AC adapter is connected thereafter and the supply of power to the wireless communication module is resumed, the security function cannot be operated from a remote location.